S200
Limited evidenceRead the findings →A no-frills corded Dolphin that cleans the floor, walls and waterline, without an app. It suits in-ground pools where you just want to drop it in and plug it in. Some owners report costly motor and cable repairs once the warranty runs out.
Updated
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Where it sits in Dolphin’s range
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What we know
Two sites tested the US version: Robotic Reviews, which is linked to a Dolphin dealer, and retailer Poolbots (retailer). The first found thorough cleaning but limited step climbing; the second criticised the value and basket size. Both have something to sell, so don't lean too hard on either verdict. Australian owners on ProductReview.com.au owners praise the cleaning but also report motor and cable repairs after the warranty ran out.
Robotic Reviews, hands-on (tested on the Dolphin S200 (US store-exclusive build); Site linked to a Dolphin dealer)
Thorough in a messy pool
Robotic Reviews let its pool go about a week under pecan and cedar trees, then ran the S200. After a two-hour cycle the basket held leaves, pecan nuts, dog hair and sand, and the ultra-fine filter lining had visibly changed colour from the small particles it caught. It dealt with sharp corners, crawled under an overhanging waterfall and held on to steep slopes. Poolbots (retailer) found its coverage similar to the Dolphin Quantum's. For a basic robot, that's a good start.
Waterline yes, upper steps no
Robotic Reviews saw its brushes scrub the waterline and shift hard-water stains on the tiles of an attached hot tub, a good sign for pools with a limescale line. Steps went less well. It handled the bottom two, but not the higher ones, so those needed scrubbing by hand. If your pool has a big entry staircase, plan on brushing it yourself.
Simple to the point of basic
There's no app, no remote and just one two-hour cycle, per the specifications. The European version also lacks a weekly timer and a cable swivel. Poolbots (retailer), which sells rival online Dolphins, argues that's too little for the money, and found the basket small for leafy pools. Robotic Reviews saw the simplicity as a plus, though it also noted there's no leaf bag and no filter-full warning.
Owners report repairs after warranty
Most Australian owners on ProductReview.com.au owners praise the cleaning and the time it saves them. The complaints cluster on reliability: motors failing after two or three years, cables and swivels wearing out and tangling, and costly repairs once the warranty has run out. These are owner reports, not controlled tests, but weigh them against the three-year warranty on the European version.
Robotic Reviews and Poolbots tested the US version, which adds a weekly timer and cable swivel and has a two-year warranty. The European version is rated for 12m pools with a three-year warranty.
Our take
Should you buy the S200?
Best for: Pools whose owners want a simple cleaner without an app. Skip it if: You do not want a power cable trailing into the pool.
The S200 may suit an in-ground pool if you want a corded cleaner with waterline scrubbing and no app. Its cleaning evidence comes from businesses selling pool robots, so the positive results deserve that qualification. Consider the S300i for phone scheduling or the cordless Liberty 600 for easier retrieval. Neither removes the need to check how it handles your pool's steps.
The S200 sits below the app-connected S300i and S400. It adds waterline cleaning over the S100, which cleans the floor and walls. You drop it in, plug it in and it runs a two-hour cycle, with two scrubbing brushes and a basket that lifts out of the top. The European version is rated for pools up to twelve metres. The US version is rated for fifty feet and adds a weekly timer and a cable swivel.
The published tests come from Robotic Reviews, which is linked to a Dolphin dealer, and Poolbots, a retailer selling competing models, so both have something to sell. Robotic Reviews found the US version thorough in a leafy pool but weak on higher steps; Poolbots criticised its value and small basket. Australian owners also describe repairs after the warranty. The European version has no app, remote, timer or cable swivel, so you start each clean yourself and may need to untwist the cable.
Where to buy
Where to buy the S200 in United Kingdom
No United Kingdom price checked in the last 21 days. We re-check daily.
We’re still looking for more United Kingdom retailers for this model.
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Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
Yes. It cleans the floor, walls and waterline with two scrubbing brushes, per the specifications. Robotic Reviews found it scrubbed the waterline well enough to lift hard-water stains from tiles.
Can it cope with steps and a deep end?
In its test pool, Robotic Reviews saw it hold on to the slopes and handle sharp corners, but one pool can't tell you how it'll cope with every deep end. It climbed only the bottom two steps there, so expect to brush upper steps by hand.
Does it handle leaves as well as fine dirt?
Robotic Reviews found leaves, pecan nuts, dog hair and sand in the basket after one cycle, and the ultra-fine lining changed colour from the fine particles it caught. Poolbots (retailer) thought the basket too small for very leafy pools, and there's no leaf bag option.
How do you clean the filter?
The multi-layer basket lifts out of the top, per the specifications, so you don't turn the robot over. There's no light to tell you when it's full, which Robotic Reviews listed as a drawback, so check it after each run.
Does it need an app?
It doesn't have one, and the European version has no timer either, per the specifications, so you start each clean yourself. The US version adds a weekly timer. For phone control, the S300i is the next step up.
Alternatives
Other robotic pool cleaners to compare.
LIBERTY 600
Why consider it: Two testers found this cordless Dolphin leaves floors very clean, filters well and comes up when you shake the clicker.
The compromise: It wanders at random, and one tester found its step jet shifted only part of the dirt.
Scuba X1
Why consider it: Les Numériques and Digital Trends found this cordless robot effective on floors and easy to live with.
The compromise: PCWorld found it left a fair amount of debris, and the fine filter is a chore to clean.
C2
Why consider it: Bob Vila and Impulse Gamer found this cordless robot simple and effective on everyday debris.
The compromise: The Pool Nerd found its suction weak, and one owner reports it failed after eight months.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the S200?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- Robotic Reviews: Dolphin S200 robotic pool cleaner review ↗80/100Hands-on · Tested on the Dolphin S200 (US store-exclusive build) · Site linked to a Dolphin dealer (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for Dolphin S200 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.